20,000 flock to Big Church Day Out – and giving births 13 new CAP centres

Generous festivalgoers at the Big Church Day Out in West Sussex last weekend have funded 13 new centres for Christians Against Poverty to help people out of debt ...

Crowds of more than 20,000 flocked to the Wiston Estate in West Sussex last weekend for the fourth Big Church Day Out.

The lineup of 34 artists included two 2013 Grammy award winners, Matt Redman and Israel Houghton, along with Eighties stars Amy Grant and Yazz.

Tim Jupp, festival director, was delighted: “So often the media paints a picture of a Church that is in decline, but the BigChurchDayOut helps to tell another story, of an active Church that is committed to playing its part in the community as well as enjoying two days of great fun together”.

This year the event partnered with the UK’s leading debt counselling agency Christians Against Poverty (CAP), and festivalgoers' generosity means CAP will now be able to open 13 new centres across the UK, allowing 4,000 people to become debt-free in the coming months. In previous years the event has raised more than £3 million of long term commitment to support children who live below the poverty line in developing countries.

In addition, HRH The Prince of Wales recorded a video greeting to the BigChurchDayOut which was shown at this year's event, and encouraging those present and saying: "This unity through diversity offers the world a message of hope".

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